Tethered toy airplane



April 1952 J. A. CALHOUN 2,593,979

TETHERED TOY AIRPLANE Filed Jan. 11,1952

2 SHEETS-SHEET l 422 INVENTOR Jae/r A. [1225mm BY Mi ATTOR NE Y5 April22, 1952 J. A. CALHOUN TE'IIHERED TOY AIRPLANE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FiledJan. 11,1952

1N VENTOR far/r A. ZZZ/howl ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 22, 1952 TETHEREDTOY AIRPLANE Jack A. Calhoun, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to SkycraftMfg. Crp., Long Beach, Calif., a corporation of California ApplicationJanuary 11, 1952, Serial No. 266,061

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to toy'airplanes.

The toy airplane has embodied therewith novel rotatable wingconstruction whereby the plane is maintained in flight. The airplane ispreferably tethered by suitable flexible string or the like, whichstring is associated with a reel that is mounted on and, carried by atethering stick. This tethering stick is in the form of a miniaturefishing rod and reel but modified so as to adapt it for use inconnection with the winding and unreeling of the string or the like fromthe reel so as to allow the tethered airplane to soar at differentaltitudes.

The airplane is fabricated from a particular plastic, which plastic hasembodied thereon a silver coating and the overall appearance of theairplane preferably simulates actual flying ships but, of course, maytake various forms as regards design, appearance, etc.

One of the features of the plane is the unique construction and mountingof the rotatable wings, there being a wing at each side of theoptionally shaped and size fuselage or body. The unusual levitation ofthe plane results partially from its design and partially from thematerial from which it is fabricated.

It is desirable in the fabrication of toy airplanes to provide such aplane that will be light in weight and yet rugged and durable soas towithstand an indefinite practical use and yet which will embodydemountable wings for purposes of shipment and ready assembly, and thepresent'plane meets such conditions. a

It is also desirable in toy airplanes to provide structure that resultsin known aerodynamic principles so that the plane will be sustained inits flight for an indefinite period of time and the construction of thepresent toy airplane and its aerodynamic principles are such thatunusual and unexpected flight endurance and performance manipulationresults therefrom.

With the foregoing in mind, it is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide a toy airplane that is so designed and constructedthat it will be sustained in flight for an indefinite period of time andis durable and capable of long usage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy airplane whichembodies therewith a fusethe combination of a unique rotatable wingedtoy airplane and a connection or an attachment of a string or the likethereto and which string is carried on a reel of 'a tethering stick, thestick being adapted to be held in the hand f the user and the reelenabling the string to be payed out and taken in from and on the reelrespectively so as to limit the soaring height of the plane in the air.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy airplane that isfabricated from a particular silver-coated, plastic, light-weightmaterial, and which material is capable of being stamped, pressed ormolded into the component cooperative elements comprising the overalltoy airplane and including unique rotatable wing structures which areuniquely rotatably mounted and held from longitudinal movement on asupporting strut or the like. The invention embodies usage ofcooperating bearing means on the wings and strut for demountablyrotatably supporting the flexible wings on the strut.

Another object of the invention is to provide the aforesaid unique wingstructures of extremely light-weight material, these wing structuresbeing so inherently reinforced that they will maintain their shape andperform their function when rotatably mounted on a strut or the 'likethroughout a long period of time.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction,within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the toy airplane as it will appear inflight and showing the tethering stick carrying the reel thereon andwith the string about the reel and the end of the string attached to theairplane; i

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the toy airplane;

Fig: 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3 -3 of Fig. 2 showing thevertical stabilizer in its operative position in full lines and ininoperativ telescoped position in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the vertical stabilizer; 9

Fig. 5 is a view taken on the lines 55 of Fig. 2looking in the directionof the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a partial transverse view taken substantially-on the irregularline 6-6 of Fig. 2

and showing the rotatable wing structure in operative position;

Fig. '1 is a partial end front elevational view similar to Fig. 6 butshowing the flexing or bending of one of the wing elements to eitherremove the same from its supporting strut or to detachably connect thesame thereto;

Fig. 8 is a sectionalview taken along the lines 88 of Fig. 2 looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional View taken along the lines 9-9 of Fig. 2 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to thedrawings in detail wherein like reference numerals or characters in theseveral views all designate the same component parts.

The toy airplane as a whole is designated at A, the tethering stick '1and the flexible medium or string S. Specifically, the toy airplanecomprises an elongated fuselage or body It which is generally torpedo orcigar shape. This body or fuselage is fabricated from two substantiallysimilarly-shaped hollow sections, the upper section being denoted at ifand the lower section at I2. This body or fuselage is preferablyconstructed from extruded polystyrene, this material being on the marketunder the trade name of Polyflex. The said material has inherentflexible characteristics butno resiliency and is capable of beingreadily molded or otherwise formed into various shapes such as the shapeof the fuselage or body of the present toy airplane. The material fromwhich the body or fuselage is made is denoted at l3 whereas 14 is asilver coating preferably only on the outer surface of this materialbut, if desired, such coating may be on the inner and outer surfaces.The complemental upper and lower sections or halves of the fuselage orbody of the airplane are each provided with a similarlyformed, outwardlyextending flange l5, which flange completely surrounds the entire bodyand the horizontal stabilizers it, which stabiliaers are in- 1 tegralwith the respective upper and "lower portions or sections of the body orfuselage.

A preferably solvent type of adhesive If is disposed between the opposedflanges of the two sections of the body or'fuselage and, of course,where such an adhesive is used to secure these flanges together, theinner opposed surfaces thereof will be free of the silver or othercoating so that a very tenacious adhesion of the two sections iseffected.

The aft upper section ll of the fuselage has a slit or elongated'openingl3 therein and it is within the walls defining this said opening thatthe vertical stabilizer or rudder R is positioned and held. Thisstabilizer B is preferably formed from two thicknesses of the materialfrom which the fuselage or body is formed and these thicknesses may beeffected by turning over one piece of the material on itself andsuitably adhesively or otherwise securing the same into contactingrelationship and providing the outwardly extending flaps l9, 2i} at thelower edge of the stabilizer and the ends of which flapsterminateinwardly of the extreme lower outer edges of the stabilizer andthus provide inset shoulder portions 2i and 22 at either end thereof. Asseen in Figs. 3 and 4, this stabilizer R is adapted to have the shoulder2! thereof overlap anupperportion 23 of the front end of the slit l3 andis thus, with the flaps ill I9 and 23, held in the full line operatingposition as shown in Fig. 3. For shipment purposes, however, thestabilizer R is merely depressed or telescoped within the aft portion ofthe fuselage as indicated by the dotted line posi-- tion of the same inFig. 3. The tolerances of the Width of the slit iii and the thickness ofthe stabilizer R are such that there will be good frictional engagementbetween the same to also aid in maintaining the stabilizer R eitherprojected outwardly or telescoped as shown in Fig. 3.

The fuselage or body has diametrically oppositely disposed eyelets,preferably brass eyelets 2e and 25 therein (see Fig. 6). The position ofthe eyelets is preferably slightly forwardly of the exact mid point ofthe fuselage or body of the airplane. Forwardly of the said eyelets andin the bottom section or portion E2 of the fuselage or body, there is agrommet 255 having an opening therein.

A strut support denoted generally at 2?, which may be made of anysuitable material but is preferably a high carbon wire known as piano ormusic wire, has its mid section 28 of substantially v-shape and a bightportion 29 at the ends of downwardly and forwardly extending legs :39and Lil constitutes the connection of the V-shaped portion of the strutwith the legs 39 and 3!. This bight portion 29 which is at an obtuseangles with respect to legs 30 and SI extends outwardly through thegrommet 2e and serves as a means to attach the end of the string theretoas is hereinafter more fully set forth.

The leg portions 3t and 8!, see Fig. 6, are actually disposed withinthe'body or fuselage of the plane and, in the lower section or half l2thereof. The strut or wing-supporting member 2? has oppositelyoutwardly-extending arms 32 and 33, which'arms are of substantially thesame length and serve as the actual rotatable supporting means for thewing structures later described. These arms are identical and, at spacedpoints, they havefixedly mounted thereon suitable sphere-like or roundedbearings 3 and 35. This whole strut including the arms 32 and 33 is, ofcourse, substantially rigid but yet the same can be manually flexed. Asboth of the arms 32 and 33 are identical and have the same bearings felland 35 thereon, it is believed description of one is sufficient.

The pair of wings denoted generally at W and W, which are left and rightwings when the plane is viewed from the front, are also similarly formedand a description of one and its association and cooperation with thesaid bearings 34 and 35, it is believed, will be sufficient. Each of thewings tapers inwardly from the body or fuselage of the ship graduallyoutwardly to the tips thereof as will be noted from the trailing andleading edges 35 and 3'! in Fig. 2. In cross section, the shape of thewings throughout their lengths is substantially'in the form of "an S anddiminishes in length from the large end thereof to' the tip end, whichmeans that as" the ruseiageorbosyer theairplane, namely the polystyrenematerial which is silver coated on both sides or faces thereof.

There are similarly formed, spaced, longitudinally extending reinforcingribs ill and 4! that are stamped in each of the Wings. These ribspresent oppositely disposed raised and depressed formations on bothfaces of the wings. In other words, one of the ribs will constitute anembossure or raised portion on one side while its opposite side will bea longitudinal depression but the L ribs and the depressions arereversed on opposite faces or sides of each of the wings. Additionally,each of the wings has a longitudinally disposed depression or recess 42,which depression or recess is intermediate of the reinforcing ribs 49and 4! and spaced therefrom. This recess 42, of course, results in areinforcing rib 43 on the opposite face of the wing. At each end of thesaid recess 42, an eyelet 44 which is preferably brass, is positioned.It will be noted that each of these eyelets is canted or angularlydisposed relative to the longitudinally extending recess 42 at each endof the same, see Fig. 6. Reinforcing ribs 42a and 42b form continuationsof the depression 42 at opposite ends thereof.

The positioning and spacing of the rounded bearings 34 and from eachother, that are fixedly carried on the arms 32 and 33 of the strut, issuch that when the Wing W or W is mounted on the strut, the same will beuniquely disposed n in the openings of the eyelets 44 that are at theends of the longitudinally extending depression or recess 42 formed bythe rib 43. As will be seen from Fig. 6, the lower portion of thesebearings 34, 35 will each engage behind a complemcntal lower inclinedportion of the eyelet and thus the wing is detachably connected to thestrut member and the rounded bearings and the eyelets serve as idealcooperative means to allow for free and unimpeded rotation of the wingabout the m wing W or W from the arm 32 of the strut member- In Fig. 7,the wing W is in a flexed or bent condition and it will be noted thatthe extreme or free end of the arm 32 of the strut member is disposeddirectly in the opening in the brass eyelet 44 whereas the adjacentrounded bearing 35 is outwardly of that opening and the other bearing 34has passed through and beyond the opening in the adjacent eyelet 64. Inthis positioning of the arm of the strut member and the flexed or bentcondition of the wing, it can either be readily removed from the arm ofthe strut member or by moving the wing to the right as seen in Fig. I,the rounded bearing M will seat itself in the inclined or canted eyeletM in the wing and, simultaneously therewith, the extreme end portion 45of the strut member will pass through the opening in the eyelet i4 anddispose the bearing 35 adjacent thereto within that opening in theeyelet with portions of the strut adjacent the bearings disposed in thedepression created by the formation of ribs 42a and 42b and, as such,the cooperative and component elements will be in the association andrelation with each other as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. It is clearthat the bearings 3d, 35 and the eyelets 44 at either end of the recess32 actually serve a dual function, namely as a means for the wing torotate thereabout and to detachably secure the wing to the arm of thestrut member. It has been described hereinbefore that lower portions ofthe rounded bearings 34 and 35 actually engage the inclined or cantedlower portions of each of the eyelets 44 and thus serve to maintain thewing on the strut member and permit it to rotate thereon. However, thewing may be removed or placed on the strut member by simply flexing itbetween its ends and more or less placing in "alignment the eyelets 44so that the bearings can either be removed from their position in theeyelets or placed therein.

The material from which the fuselage or body and also the wings areformed is preferably of a thickness of .065 to .075 inch and is coatedas hereinbefcre mentioned with silver and, additionally, a protectivecoating, not shown, applied to the silver coating in order to preventoxidation or discoloration thereof. This protective coating may be inthe form of a rubberized transparent solution. The arms 32 and 33 ofthe. strut are preferably slightly upwardly inclined, see Fig. 6. Colorsother than silver may obviously be used.

Without limiting the invention to precise materials and weights,dimensions, etc., it has been found that a toy airplane constructed inaccordance with the disclosure of this invention and from the materialsmentioned herein can and did obtain the height of some 2300 feet and thewings at all times were substantially rigid and constantly rotating, ofcourse, to maintain the soaring heights of the plane and to attainlevitation. In this plane that was built and tested, the same measuredabout 23 inches from wing tip to wing tip and the fuselage or body ofthe plane was approximately 10 inches in length and its greatestdiameter was about 2 inches. The wings tapered at their major portionadjacent the body or fuselage from 3 inches down to about 1% inches attheir tips. The overall weight of the plane was less than one ounce. Thetype of material that was used and mentioned herein is springy in natureso that if the fuselage is dented it will immediately spring back intoproper condition and this also applies to the wings of the plane.

The use of the airplane is very simple and while I prefer to use thetethering stick or rod'I, it may be dispensed with and the string orball of string held in the hand of the user. This tethering stickincludes a reel 46 upon. which the string S is wound, a handle 4! and areduced portion iii and an eye 49 at the end thereof with also an eye 58adjacent the reel through which eyes the string extends and there is aconventional swiveled connection 5| which is in turn connected with aconventional detachable hook 52 and this hook 52 i engaged about thebight portion 29 of the strut member that projects beyond the bottom ofthe plane, see Figs. 6 and 7, so that the end of the string or cord -Smay be connected with the plane. A toy airplane constructed inaccordance with this invention has been tested at wind currents of 35 M.P. H. and has stood up very well and maintained its flight. Dependingupon the wind currents, of course, will determine how the plane willsoar or move in the air and thus, of course, if the wind currents aregentle, the plane will ride in the substantially same horizontalposition but if the plane is caught in cross currents or air pockets, itwill accordingly dive and rise similarly to a conventional commercialflying ship.

It is believed important that reference be had to Fig. 2 wherein it willbe noted that the legs not onlyare V -shaped but they are inclineddownwardly and forwardly and thus the obtusely disposed bight portion29of these legs which connects them together projects outwardly throughthe'grommet 26 at a point that is disposed closer to the nose or forwardpoint of the plane rather than the aft portion thereof and serves torigidize the fuselage and hold the strut in a fixed relationshiptherewith. This is important because it has been found that by sopositioning the attachment of the string to the bight portion 29, theplane will in most instances be in proper balance: and ride the aircurrents in a substantially horizontally disposed position.

While, the fuselage or body of the plane is shown as torpedo or cigarshape, it is understood that the same may be in the form of an elongatedflat body or disc. As a matter of fact, the wings when rotatably mountedon the strut structure will function to cause the airplane to act as aflying wing in the absence of utilizing any body or fuselage structurewhatsoever.

The arms or extensions 32 of the strut member, or that portion of thesearms that is disposed in the longitudinally extending groove or recess42, serve with the ribs 553 and ll to additionally reinforce andstrengthen the wings W and W. Thus, each wing structure is rigidizedwhen the same is associated with the extensions 32 of the strut 21.

I claim:

L'A toy airplane comprising a hollow body, a continuous substantiallyrigid wing strut supporting member extending laterally beyond oppositesides of the body, a wing mounted on and it carried by each of the saidextensions of the strut member, and cooperable engaging bearing meansbetween cache-f the extensions oi the strut member and the wingsupported thereon for allowing rotation of the wing relative to thestrut member and for maintaining each wing on each of the saidextensions, the strut member having an integral downwardly and forwardlyextending substantially V-shaped midsection thereof which is disposedwithin the hollow body of the plane A and the said V-shaped portion ofthe strut mom ber having its bight portion projecting through an openingin the bottom of the body of the plane, said projecting bight portionserving as a means to attach a flexible tethering string there- 1; up ofthe Wing, the Wing having longitudinally 2. A toy airplane comprising abody, substantially rigid \ving strutsupporting member ex tendinglaterally beyond opposite sides of the body, a wing mounted on andcarried by each of the said extensions of the strut member, and spacedcooperable engaging bearing means between each of the extensions of thestrut me nber and the wing supported thereon for allowing rotation ofthe wing relative to the strut member and for maintaining each wing oneach of the said extensions, wherein at least one of the cooperablebearing means comprises a fixed rounded bearing on the strut extensionand an eyelet inclinedly disposed and aiiixed to the wing and inwhichicyelet the rounded bearing is detachabiy mounted.

3. A toy airplane comprising an elongated substantially rigid wingsupporting strut member, an elongated wing spacedly rotatably mounted onthe opposite end portions of the strut member, said opposite endportions being joined by an intermediate portion, individual cooperablebearins means carried by a portion of the strut membe): at its oppositeendportions and portions. of

the wings mounted on, such end'portions, said bearing means rotatablysupporting each'of the wings relativ to the strut end portions uponwhich they are mounted and detachably maintaining each wing on the saidend portions, and wherein the cooperable bearing means comprises aspherical rounded member fixedly carried by and on each end portion ofthe strut, and an inclinedly disposed eyelet fixedly positioned in andcarried by each wing with the rounded bearing disposed in the saideyelet so that a lower portion of the rounded bearing abuts the lowerinclined portion of the eyelet and allows rotation of each wing relativeto the end portions of the strut and to maintain the wing in itsrotational association with the projecting end per.- tions of the strut.

4. A lightweight toy airplane fabricated from a silver-coated plasticmaterial comprising a hollow body and a laterally extending rotatablewing mounted on each side of the body, a substantially rigid elongatedwin supporting wire strut member including alateral extension at eachside of the body, which extensions serve as a, rotatable mounting forthe wing at each side of the body, the said strut member having amidsection of substantially V-shape and positioned to, extend downwardlyfrom and forwardly of the lateral extensions, and said vsshaped portionof ,the strut including a bight portion which serves as an attachmentfor a flexible means for tethering the plane.

5. A lightweight toy airplane fabricated from a silver-coated plasticmaterial comprising aihollow body and a laterally extending rotatablewing mounted on each side of the body, a substantially rigid elongatedwing supporting wire strut member including a lateral extension at eachside of the body, which extensions serve as a rotatable mounting for thewing at each side of the body, the said strut member having a midsectionof substantially V-shape and positioned to extend downwardly from andforwardly of the lateral extensions, and said ii-shaped portion of thestrut including a bight portion which serves as an at,-

tachment for a flexible means for tethering the plane, and wherein eachwing is similarly formed and is substantially S-shaped in cross sectionand has its edges tapering gradually inwardlyto the each end of the saidrecess, the said lateral ex- 7 tensions of the strut member each havinga spaced pair of rounded bearings thereon and the spacing of whichbearings coincides with the positioning of the eyelets at the end of thesaid recess so that the bearings are disposed in the respective eyeletsof each wing and the portion of the extensions between each of thebearings lies in the said recess and with the said ribs reinforces andstrengthens each wing and allows for the rotation of each wing relativeto the lateral extensions of the strut and serving to detachablymaintain the wings in their rotative relationship with the lateralextensions of the strut member.

6. A toy airplane as defined in and by claim 4, wherein the body of theplane has an elongated slot in the aft upper portion thereof, a verticalstabilizer telescopically received within the walls of the slotformation whereby the stabilizer may bepositioned in either of twopositions, one being extended for, service and the other being substan-9 tially completely retracted within the hollow body for packing.

7. A toy airplane as defined in and by claim 4, wherein the body of theplane is comprised of two substantially similarly formed upper and lowersections with a flange continuously about each section and includinghorizontally disposed stabilizers at the aft end of the body, and meansfor permanently joining the complemental flanges of the two sections ofthe body and the horizontal stabilizers together.

8. In combination, a toy airplane and a tethering stick carrying aflexible extensible string means thereon to tether the said plane, theplane comprising a hollow body and a rotatable wing extending laterallybeyond each side of said body, strut means for supporting each of saidwings, the strut means having a V-shaped midsection thereof carried bythe body and a lateral extension thereof on each side of the body and onwhich extension each of the 3 wings is rotatably mounted, means forattaching the free end of the string to the bight portion of themidsection of the strut member, and reel means carried by the tetheringstick whereby the string may be wound upon or unwound from the reel todeter mine and control the height of the plane in the all.

9. The combination of the airplane and tethering stick and extensiblestring means as defined in and by claim 8, wherein the body is elongatedand the midsection of the strut means is disposed within the hollowbody, the mid-section having a bight portion extending outwardly beyondthe bottom portion of the body, said extending bight portion serving asameans to attach the free end of the string thereto.

10. A toy airplane fabricated from a silver coated plastic materialcomprising a hollow body and a laterally extending rotatable wingmounted on each side of the body, a substantially rigid elongated wingsupporting wire strut member including a lateral extension at each sideof the body, said extensions providing rotatable mountings for the wingat each side of the body, said strut member having a mid-section ofsubstantially V-shape positioned to extend downwardly from and forwardlyof the lateral extensions, said body having an eyelet disposeddownwardly and forwardly of the lateral extensions, and said V-shapedportion of the strut including a bight portion obtusely disposedrelative to the legs of the mid-section, said bight portion projectingoutwardly through said eyelet so that tethering means for the plane canbe attached thereto.

11. A toy airplane comprising an elongated substantially rigid wingsupporting strut member, a flexible elongated wing rotatably mounted onthe opposite end portions of the strut member, said opposite endportions being joined by an intermediate portion, and cooperable bearingmeans respectively carried by opposite end portions of the strut memberand portions of the wings mounted on said end portions, said bearingmeans being of such construction as to rotatably support each of thewings relative to the strut end portions and maintain each wing fromdisplacement longitudinally of said strut member except when said wingsare flexed intermediately of their ends whereupon said cooperablebearing means on the strut member and wings are disengaged from eachother and said wings can be detached from said struts.

12. A toy airplane as defined in and by claim 11, wherein saidintermediate portion of the strut member is of substantially v-shape,and said V-shaped port-ion of the strut including a bight portion whichserves as an attachment for a flexible means for tethering the plane.

13. A toy airplane as defined in and by claim 12, and additionallyincluding a hollow body having an eyelet in the bottom of the bodydisposed downwardly and forwardly of the opposite end portions of thestrut member, and said V-shaped intermediate portion of the strut memberbeing disposed within said hollow body and having its bight portionextending outwardly through said eyelet to provide a means forattachment oi flexible means for tetheringthe plane.

JACK A. CALHOUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,331,418 Craig Feb. 17, 19201,497,774 Dowd June 17, 1924 1,693,189 Arden Nov. 27, 1928 2,334,760Haifiey Nov. 23, 1943 2,429,502 Young Oct. 21, 1947 2,494,430 CarnwathJan. 10, 1950 2,548,748 Stephan Apr. 10, 1951

